1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of distributed authoring systems, and more particularly pertains to the implementing of authoring controls within the authoring system. Moreover, specifically the invention is directed to providing the authoring system with an improved and novel process of enabling access to the system for simultaneous users employing access control structures through the intermediary of an access control engine which is adapted to select criteria to provide system access to selective authors or users while incorporating a mechanism for dynamically enforcing the authoring controls.
In essence, authoring systems, which may also be known as authoring tools or authorware in technological and commercial applications, may be programs existing in hypertext and multimedia applications. Pursuant to more sophisticated applications, in internet, on-line or CD-ROM programs, the authoring systems may be scripting language or graphics elements, or may even represent a mixture of textual (teaching tools, printed works and the like) material, graphical representations, audio data and numerous, practically unlimited types of objects or programs. These authoring systems are ordinarily developed and designed by authors who define the relationships of the foregoing aspects with each other, and sequencing the programs in an appropriate order for data storage.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the present state of the technology and industry, authoring systems are adapted to control authoring access, generally to an authoring system utilizing various control parameters such as check-in/check-out, access control lists, profiles and predefined roles which are assigned to various authors of the system.
In various of the presently developed and known authoring systems, the access control mechanisms which facilitate access to the authoring system are specified or predefined by the system itself; whereas, other authoring systems do not provide access control systems or similar arrangements.